Switzerland will entertain the premier classes of MXGP for the first time since 2001 with Frauenfeld/Gachnang slated to host the 15th round of the 2016 FIM MXGP World Championship on August 7 next summer.
Series promoters Youthstream along with head of the Swiss project Willy Laderach spoke about the return of MXGP to the country and the organisation of a race in the wake of the success of riders like Arnaud Tonus, Valentin Guillod and Jeremy Seewer who are expected to form a potent team at the Motocross of Nations in France this September.
“We have been talking about this project for two years and we have found the right partner and they have build it slowly,” commented Youthstream President Giuseppe Luongo. “I think people will be surprised of the high standard than we will find next year in Switzerland. They know what we need in terms of track, paddock and facilities.”
More news
The facility itself is location northwest of Zurich and Laderach claims the Grand Prix could finally come to fruition thanks to some important backing. “It is not easy [to organise a GP],” he claims. “Switzerland is the greenest part of Europe so you can understand we have many ‘green’ people’, but we want to show that you can organise a clean MXGP. We have found partners with our Swiss sugar company and a forward-thinking farmer who has given land to build a track for the future of motocross. We have built a good organisation.”
Roggenburg last hosted a Grand Prix at the beginning of the century and for Youthstream – who could take MXGP abroad to as many as seven rounds of the 2016 campaign with Malaysia expected to join the slate as another new territory and following the leads of Qatar and Thailand in recent years – it means renewal of an old motocross fanbase. “Not only do we have new countries interested but the old countries come back,” added Luongo.
